Early Childhood Learning Center – MLC's Child Care Center

Martin Luther College’s

Early Childhood Learning Center Welcomes You

Hello there!

Welcome to the Martin Luther College Early Childhood Learning Center (ECLC). Are you hoping to start a family soon? Looking to find an environment that designs learning into every experience for your infant, toddler, or preschooler? Longing for care that goes beyond simple safety and nutrition and seeks to form a relationship with both you and your child? You’re in the right place! Here at the ECLC, quality learning and care are woven into every part of our day. We love children, and we love to partner with parents to help their little ones develop and grow.

Our motivation for excellence comes from knowing God’s love for children and for us, too. We believe that God wonderfully creates each and every child with unique talents, gifts, and abilities that they can use their whole lives long. We believe that God sent a Savior for all people: big and small, young and old, and from all different backgrounds. We believe that God’s Word, the Bible, is true, and we love to help children and families to know more about Jesus!

Enjoy taking a little tour through our site! Please reach out to us via the “Contact” tab with any further questions or if you’d like to schedule a tour!

In Christ,
Melissa Berg, Director

Jesus said,

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Matthew 19: 14 NIV

Get to Know Us

MISSION STATEMENT

MLC ECLC exists to serve the community and our church body, the WELS, by partnering with families to provide Christ-centered care and early learning experiences and by modeling quality practice and ministry for MLC teacher candidates.

CORE VALUES

In order to carry out our mission statement we will:

Center the ministry of our faculty, staff, and MLC teacher candidates on the means of grace by…
1. Making an effort to further connect to the Word ourselves
2. Learning how to effectively use law and gospel in our interactions with children
3. Planning opportunities throughout each school year cycle to put the Word in our families’ ears and hands
Strive for excellence in every element of care and learning we provide by…
1. Caring for our facility
2. Continuing to learn about child development
3. Examining our curriculum
4. Facilitating the development of MLC teacher candidates
Build connections with our families and community by…
1. Learning more about how to best communicate with parents
2. Regularly sharing news and notes through a variety of means
3. Holding regular events for families and staff to attend (parent ed. and fellowship)
4. Modeling quality relationships between staff and families for MLC teacher candidates

CURRICULUM

The MLC Early Childhood Learning Center uses the HighScope curriculum to create environments, experiences, and interactions that foster children’s learning. HighScope, a research-vetted curriculum first implemented in Ypsilanti, MI in 1962, encourages children to be active participants in their learning as they engage with materials to make sense and meaning of their world. The adult’s role is to guide children’s discovery. Adults play and work alongside children, noticing the individual ways that children choose to use materials and always working to build children’s understanding with “just-right” additions to their play. As they plan their lessons, teachers are thinking about their unique groups of students and asking, “What are their current interests? What do they wonder about? What do they still need to know? And how can I build on those interests, wonders, and skills?” In addition to HighScope, we also utilize ChristLight for Bible stories and a few different resources for music and movement lessons in the preschool classrooms.

Testimonials

“When we drop off our children at MLC ECLC there is never a doubt that they are receiving the highest level of child care and education. The teachers and staff treat our children as if they are their own child. MLC ECLC provides the perfect Christian-based setting to help us raise our children through the most important milestones of their childhood. We are proud to send our children here.”

Kate A.

All three of my children have enjoyed MLC ECLC so much! My family is so appreciative of the time, patience, and caring demeanor of each and every staff member there. As a parent, there is nothing more relieving than when your child wants to go to school because they enjoy their time there so immensely. I am grateful for such an amazing facility in our community that truly cares about the growth and development of God’s little children.

Megan O.

We truly enjoy the intimate care ECLC staff provides in sharing God’s word with our children. ECLC continues to be such a blessing to our family for 4 years and counting. The teachers are there because they are passionate about what they do and the student teachers bring so much energy as they are investing in their college career path.

Amber P.

Both of our kids came home singing new songs, sharing what was learned with their siblings, and wanting to go back to school to see their friends daily. Our kids would often come home to play school which showed us all the positive strategies the teachers use to engage kids. The structure, encouragement to do guided exploration, small group, and structured play are things that significantly set the ECLC apart from other centers.

Kallie S.

Meet Our Staff

Melissa Berg
Director

Natalie Borgwardt
Lead Teacher

Elizabeth Klugherz
Lead Teacher

Catherine St. John
Lead Teacher

Kristen Portner
Assistant Teacher

Mandi Russow
Assistant Teacher

Kaitlin Sandmeyer
Assistant Teacher

Alla Skorenka
Assistant Teacher

Krista Stadick
Assistant Teacher

Isabella Stading
Assistant Teacher

Christine Thompson
Assistant Teacher

Information for Parents & Prospective Families

INFORMATION FOR PARENTS

Handbook | Calendar

Hours of Operation

Mon – Fri: 7:00 am- 5:30 pm

Closures

We do not close when the school district closes for snow days or late starts. When bad weather persists, we will contact you to pick up your child as soon as you are able to ensure a safe journey home.

The ECLC is closed for some holidays and other days, during which staff complete trainings, help with deeper cleaning, and have an opportunity for rest. You can find those closure dates on our yearly calendar. You will not be charged for days the ECLC is closed.

INFORMATION FOR PROSPECTIVE FAMILIES

Rates

Infant and Toddlers

Currently we are only accepting full time children.

Rates are soon to increase. All rates are in effect until Fall of 2025

Infant: $189/week
Toddlers: $168/week

Infants: Parents of infants will need to furnish diapers, wipes, formula, cereal, and baby food until the child is ready for complete finger foods.

Please supply extra clothing for occasional accidents, sunscreen if wanting a special brand, and diaper ointment if desired.

Toddlers: Parents of toddlers will need to furnish diapers and wipes (pull ups when ready for bathroom training and extra clothing) along with diaper ointment and sunscreen if wanting a special brand.

Preschool

Full day (7:45 am- 4:15 pm) 3, 4, or 5 consecutive days/week
$30 per day $150 per week

Half day (8:00 am- 11:30 am) 4 or 5 consecutive days/week
$22 per day $110 per week

Preschool: Please supply extra clothing for occasional accidents.

Additional Fees

Additional Charges for Diapers, Wipes, and Clothing
There is a fee of $2.00 per diaper and $1.00 per day of wipes if not replenished when notified.

There is a fee of $2.00 per day for nap items (blanket) supplied to a child by the ECLC if not replenished when notified.

There is a fee of $2.00 per day for clothing items (underwear, pants, socks)supplied to a child by the ECLC if not replenished when notified.

There is a fee of $2.00 per day for outdoor clothing items (snow pants, boots, coats) supplied to a child by the ECLC if not replenished within 2 business days following parent notification.

Additional Child Care
Additional child care will be provided if needed from 7:00 a.m. to 7:45 a.m. and from 4:15 p.m.-5:30 p.m. An additional fee of $6.00 per hour is charged for this service.

There is a late fee charge of $10 for the first occurrence and $25 thereafter, along with a $5.00 charge for each five-minute increment after the 11:30 a.m. half-day closing or 5:30 p.m. closing time for each child in our care.

Waitlisting Information

Families often ask what our wait list and enrollment process look like. In order to be placed on our waitlist, we ask families to schedule a tour with us. This allows us the opportunity to talk more at length about our program, to tour the building, and for families to share any questions or concerns they might have.

Following placement on the waitlist, there are two priorities for becoming actually enrolled at the MLC ECLC.

If a member of your immediate family is employed by MLC, your family would receive priority for enrollment.
If we are already serving another child in your family, siblings would receive priority for enrollment.

Beyond those two priorities, our wait list is handled with an eye toward the initial date of contact, as well as according to the following guidelines:

We want all children to feel comfortable in the routines and patterns of a given room.
We want to give children time to establish good attachment with caregivers within a room.
These two guidelines mean that we try our very best to not bring children into a room when they will be transitioning to the next classroom within 2 or 3 months. We want children to have the opportunity to really settle into a room’s routines and to get to know their caregivers before they have to make yet another transition.
We want staff to provide the best possible level of care to our babies of all ages.This guideline means that we are mindful of the ages of the babies in our care. We try to have babies of a variety of ages within the classroom so that the needs of both younger and older babies can be better met.
We need to make sure that transitions to subsequent rooms would happen at a time when there is space for a child within that classroom.
This guideline means that we actually track a potential opening all the way through our center to make sure that when the child is 16-18 months old, we have a toddler spot, and when the child is 31-35 months old, we have a preschool spot available.

With the above guidelines in mind, we do our best to accommodate as many families’ needs as we can! We love to help children learn and grow in all areas of development, and it is a special joy for us to share the love of Jesus with our children!

Infant Room

Our infant classroom is a warm, comfortable place for our littlest learners to grow. Because babies’ needs from 6 weeks of age to 16 months of age are so different, care in this room is completely individualized, according to each baby’s needs. The lead teacher meets with families prior to the child’s first day to communicate about the baby’s eating, sleeping, and diapering habits, as well as baby’s temperament and general likes and dislikes.

Throughout the day, our team works diligently to both care for children’s basic needs and to provide an enriching environment for the infants to grow in every area of development. We find special joy in sharing Jesus with our little ones as we sing songs while rocking together. We also love sitting on the floor with them as they discover things for the first time, from toes, to stacking blocks, to turning the pages of a favorite story together.

The MLC ECLC is licensed to care for up to 12 babies at a time, with a ratio of 1 caregiver to 4 babies. However, because we also serve as a training center for undergraduates at Martin Luther College, our adult to child ratio is often much lower, which is a wonderful blessing for our babies!

Toddler Room

The toddler room is a busy place! Children in this room are moving their bodies from one place to another and learning words at an astonishing rate! Much like the infant room, the toddler room teachers strive to both take care of children’s physical needs and create many opportunities for learning throughout the day.

Toddlers spend much of their day in play; through that active exploring they learn about cause and effect, patterns, pretending, how books work, and so many things they will need some day as bigger people. Toddlers also get the chance to learn in small groups as they hear Bible stories, sing songs, and work with materials chosen by the teacher to help them grow.

The MLC ECLC is licensed to care for up to 21 toddlers at a time, with a ratio of 1 caregiver to 7 toddlers. Our student teachers from Martin Luther College assist us from August-May of each year, which gives our little ones even more adult time and attention!

Preschool Room

Preschool-aged children are in the unique place of being able to do many things for themselves, while still also needing the security and guidance of having adults close by. Our two preschool rooms allow children to spend time in both guided play and in lessons taught by our teachers. Both pieces, though, still focus on the child participating in the learning experience.

During worktime, the heart of the HighScope curriculum, children make plans about what they will play, then use the materials found throughout the room to carry those plans out. It’s common to see everything from a group of children playing family and going on vacation to another group building a combine out of blocks and harvesting corn! As children play, our teachers are on the floor next to children playing with them, assisting with solving conflicts, and asking questions to help them engage in play even more deeply.

Preschool children also get to experience a variety of lessons each day. They learn about Jesus and practice telling those Bible accounts during Bible time. They also explore movement, music, letters, art, numbers, and many more things as they spend the day with us. By the time they head to Kindergarten, our preschool children have a solid foundation in school skills of all kinds so that they’re ready for the next step!

The MLC ECLC is licensed to care for up to 60 preschoolers(in 2 classrooms) at a time, with a ratio of 1 caregiver to 10 children. Student teachers from Martin Luther College assist us in teaching children from the months of August-May. We greatly enjoy the excitement and new ideas that student teachers bring for our preschoolers each year!